Five bands – including popular seven-piece Grand Rapids band Chance Jones – have agreed to perform during the 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. “Bus Revolution” event, said organizer Dave Bulkowski, co-chair of “Friends of Transit.”

Details on the event are not final, but Bulkowski said supports of the bus millage will use the opportunity to recruit volunteers to knock on doors and also to raise awareness by encouraging attendees to become a fan of the group's Facebook page.

“We're going have a bank of computers set up for people to access their Facebook page,” Bulkowski said. “It's a fun event intended to get the word out.”

That transit millage will go before voters in Grand Rapids, East Grand Rapids, Wyoming, Kentwood, Grandville and Walker.

Rapid leadres are asking voters to increase the current five-year 1.12 mill tax levy by 0.35 mills to a total of 1.47 mills for seven years. That increase would cost the owner of a $150,000 home an extra $26.25 a year.

The Rapid's current five-year tax levy was approved by voters in May 2007. At the time, voters approved a 0.95-mill renewal and a 0.17-mill increase that raised an additional $2 million for increased services.

FUTURE OF THE RAPID

Total annual cost of proposed improvements: $3.7 million

If approved, the money would be used to pay for these improvements over five years:

The BRT system resembles a traditional bus route, but mimics the speed of light rail with buses traveling on the road with exclusive use of car lane at times, and traffic signals tweaked to keep them moving as fast as possible.

The BRT proposal would be built with $32 million in federal funds, and $8 million from the state, but the money will only be given out if the money to operate the system is already secured.

In 2009, voters in six cities shot down a request for a millage renewal and increase that would have generated about $3.3 million a year to operate the Silver Line.